Hong Kong – a metropolis of seven million people. Its coastline totals 870 kilometres, formed by 218 islands. Through the years, 16 islands have been lost to reclamation works and the erection of reservoirs. Shorelines of the yesteryears are only found in old photographs. In Wanchai alone, the coastline has undergone changes six times. Reclamation has also been relentless in both Central and West Kowloon. Vincent have always been fond of capturing things whose existence are under threat. In this case, he hope that the work would serve as scattered evidence of what the city once was. It is his wish that our decedents in years to come would still have means to find out about the past. He embarked on this project in 2003. Whenever free, he would spend time recording the coastlines in different parts of Hong Kong. The journey – likenening the one in “Alice in Wonderland” -- brought him to places from abandoned rocky shores to old ferry piers that have fallen into ruins. In some places, the shoreline simply serves as the backdrop to sleek high-risers. Each sight has left a unique impression on him. At times, it felt surreal as if he had disappeared off to outerspace. Other scenes reminded him of his favourite classical music – elaborate and decadent.

Vincent Yu has been a photographer with the Associated Press for 19 years. He has covered major local and international news stories including the Asian Tsunami, and, more recently, the massive earthquake in Sichuan and the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games. Many of his photographs have been recognised with awards from the Hong Kong Press Photographers Association. He was a recipient of the U.S. National Headliner Awards in 2004. His works have also been shown in exhibitions in Hong Kong, mainland China, Hawaii, and Berlin. He has acted as a guest lecturer on photojournalism at the University of Hong Kong.